As young men Pete, the tenor and accompanist, and Sibby, the baritone, went off on the vaudeville
circuit and along with a friend, they called themselves the Hoboken Trio, singing pop songs of
the day. After only a few months the group broke up and Pete and Sibby came back to Hoboken,
back to mama/granma/Katie the Great. They missed home and they missed mama’s cooking. They
went to work in a Manhattan pencil factory and continued to appear as the Hoboken Trio (eventually
the third member of the Trio drifted off) at all important city and church shindigs. On Saturday
nites, Big Joe Brown (Branda) a good friend and union boss, picked them up, along with mama Katie
and anyone else in the family who could fit into his big black Cadillac and off they went to
one of Union City’s best Italian restaurants - for mussels and pizza, homemade sausage
and pasta and just about whatever Italian food you wanted, along with all the beer you could
drink. It was all homecooked and delicious. After the eats, The Hoboken Trio - Pete and Sibby
- or “The boys” as they were often called - sang their special ditties and Big Joe
Brown paid the bill. Everyone in the Hoboken of that time knew Pete and Sibby and knew their
songs. They sang for union parties, for church parties, for wedding parties - they sang wherever
they were invited. If there wasn’t a piano, Pete brought along his uke. After every dinner
out, or Sunday dinner home, they sang their songs. Legend has it that young Frankie boy (ole
Blue Eyes) hung around the house when he was a kid just to hear their songs.

This CD was originally recorded on a Wollensak tape recorder - in the basement apartment of the Galastro
house on 7th Street in Hoboken on the evening of mama’s (granma/Katie the Great) 85th birthday
dinner party in 1966. A non-stop medley of vintage songs, with Pete on the piano - a piano that
had been a “player piano” and had never been tuned since it was built in 1891. Pete
(the tenor voice you hear) and Sibby (the baritone) then in their 70’s sound like they
always sounded - the splendid lively exuberant voices of the Hoboken Trio.

You are in for 50 minutes of a glorious celebration from the real Hoboken, the Hoboken of the waterfront
union guys, the Washington Street May Day parades, the church bingos, the depression and Frankie
boy and his mom Dolly. The centerfold photo is of a Hoboken May Day parade from the early 40’s.

This CD has been digitally remastered by Fritz Schwarz from the only surviving copy of the 33rpm
vinyl edition. The CD cover design is by Kisch. Production by Sir Speedy Printing.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMAWHEN YOU’RE
SMILINGSMILE DARN YOU SMILESOPHIE IF
YOU KNEW SUSIE I
DON’T
WANNA GET MARRIEDTHE BEST THINGS IN
LIFE ARE FREE I
DON’T
KNOW WHY I
LOVE YOU LIKE I DO
BYE BYE BLUESHAPPY BIRTHDAY LET ME
CALL YOU SWEETHEART –
MAMA SINGSWHO’S
SORRY NOWTHERE’LL BE A
CHANGE IN
THE WEATHERDADDY’S
LITTLE GIRL I
WANT A
GIRL JUST LIKE THE GIRL THAT MARRIED DEAR OLE DADLENAHAPPY BIRTHDAY UP A
LAZY RIVERSOMEBODY STOLE MY
GAL ROCK-A-BYE
YOUR BABYWHEN YOUR OLD WEDDING RING WAS NEW I
DON’T
WANNA GO
HOMEROLL ON
YOU MISSISSIPPI RIVER ROLL ON
I
DON’T
WANNA GO
HOME –
MAMA SINGSMAMMYPASTA FAZOOLADON’T BE A
FOOL, YOU FOOLHAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA

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